The thought box

Very Short Introduction Boxed Sets Books that are perfect to pop in your pocket now packaged to make the ideal gift!

Five of the best-selling introductory books to 19th philosophy from the highly acclaimed Very Short Introductions series packaged in a stylish case to make the ideal gift or way-in to a subject area.

This boxed set gives a great introductory overview to the subject of 19th century philosophy: Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard.

Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer 'an excellent introduction to Hegel's thought...Hegel is neatly placed in historical context; the formal waltz of dialectic and the dialectic master and slave are economically illumined; Singer's use of analogy is at times inspired.' - Sunday Times Marx: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole.

He sees him as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist. He explains alienation, historical materialism, the economic theory of Capital, and Marx's ideas of communism, in plain English, and concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy.

Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Tanner Michael Tanner's readable introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings.

It also explodes the many misconceptions fostered in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote, prophetically: 'Do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!' Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Janaway 'an excellent brief introduction to Schopenhauer's thought - well-written, concise, and pitched at just the right level.' - Christopher Norris, University of Wales Schopenhauer's philosophy inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein.

His central notion is that of the will - a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature. Seeing human behaviour as that of a natural organism governed by the will to life, Schopenhauer developed radical insights concerning the unconscious and sexuality which influenced both psychologists and philosophers.

Kierkegaard: A Very Short Introduction by Patrick Gardiner Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55) wrote widely on religious, psychological, and literary themes.

His seminal diagnosis of the human condition, emphasizing the significance of individual choice, was his most striking philosophical legacy, particularly for the growth of existentialism.

Patrick Gardiner's beautifully written Kierkegaard makes him come alive both as a thinker and as a human being. ' -Independent